A Cup of Crazy: "Austenland" by Shannon Hale

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a person who is incandescently in love with a fictional character may have a problem. Maybe.  I, along with innumerable members of the I Heart Colin Firth Fan Club, beg to differ because he is utterly dreamy and total husband material solely because he rocked the wet tunic contest in A & E's "Pride and Prejudice." I was so grateful to find a book that completely supported my personal affinity to Colin Firth and Mr. Darcy while giving me so many laughs and points to ponder.  Without further adieu, I'd like to pour you a brewing cup of crazy as I review "Austenland" by Shannon Hale.

This book became wildly popular after the movie adaptation was picked up for theaters at Sundance Film Festival in 2013.  The movie adaptation is seriously one of the most hilarious films I've ever seen so I was a tiny bit nervous to read the book since I love the movie so much.  My awesome friend Sarah (a published author herself -- LINK TO HER BOOKS) gave this book to me for Christmas this year.  When I opened the package I was so surprised and excited when I noticed that it was an autographed copy. She later shared that she had purchased this at her favorite used book store in Ogden, Utah and it was a happy accident that she purchased an autographed copy. Winning! 

I'm pleased to share that the book and the movie both earned the right of awesomeness on their own.  Is the movie exactly like the book? Nope.  But, the gems that are included in the book are those that could never, ever be captured in the film and likewise, the movie had quirky elements that could only be shown in a live production.  Can I say I like one or the other better? Honestly, no.  They were both wonderful.

Our main character is Jane Hayes, an expert on all things Austen. She has read each of Jane Austen's books from cover to cover multiple times and lives in a bit of a euphoric dreamland with Fitzwilliam Darcy as her Prince Charming. She is presented with the opportunity to visit Austenland, a themed travel experience that allows visitors to completely immerse themselves in the Regency era similar to the settings of Jane Austen's books.  It's very clear that Jane has a somewhat skewed view of the world, love and relationships because she is so obsessed with Austen's fictional characters.  In the beginning, travelling to Austenland seems like the perfect way to rehabilitate herself out of this way of thinking, but really it turns in to quite a silly mess.

The main difference between the film and the book was probably my favorite element of the book.  Between each chapter there is a brief synopsis/diary entry that details the demise of Jane's long string of "boyfriends." Boyfriends in the sense that they were boys and they were non-fictional humans, but that's about it.  Every single chapter includes a different fella and they are SO funny.  While I was reading this book, I shared this part with my mother and she looked at me and said, "there is really a different boyfriend for every chapter?" Yes and that's why it's so funny.  Each of the guys she describes really existed, but they weren't ever good enough because Jane compared them to Mr. Darcy.  At least that's what you think.  But throughout the book, you start to see that not only is Jane dating losers for lack of options and self-confidence, but she's convinced herself that it's OK and that someday her Darcy will come and treat her how she deserves to be treated.  I loved having this aspect, not only for the laughs, but because it concurrently showed me how Jane ticked. She just wanted to be loved by a nice, non-fictional guy like the rest of us.

Because Austenland is a scripted experience based on the amount paid by visitors, Jane starts to get caught up in the battle of real vs. scripted. That, in and of itself, is a huge irony because most of her real life has been spent swooning over this fictional character. Now she is faced with the conflict of what is real and questions herself constantly.  The question "do I love this man because he has a great script and a lovely outfit or because he is a genuinely kind individual" comes up on a regular basis.  The author was very creative as she shared this inner dialogue because an Austen fanatic quickly picks up on the similarity to the "Pride and Prejudice" plot line and the battle Elizabeth Bennet has regarding her feelings for Mr. Darcy and George Wickham.  Oh, the web Jane weaves as she tries to sort out her feelings and emotions. She is presented with a suitor and she falls hard, but then assumes it's scripted and pulls herself away. Over and over, back and forth, she fights with this, all while the reader is enjoying the hilarious (and sort of sad) tales of her failed non-fictional relationships.  Totally genius way of writing.  Loved it.

In a way I felt sorry for Jane because she truly wants a non-fictional man to be amazing, sweep her off her feet and who can blame her? We all long for the respect of others.  Let's just be honest.  In the end she comes to the conclusion that her time at Austenland was meant to be a fun, dreamland vacation from her sad reality and she prepares to return home feeling like she's still in a state of unrest with her feelings for Mr. Darcy.  Thanks to a spot of luck, fate proves her wrong, and the ending is just plain cute.  And yes, very happy.

My recommended reading group would be all ages, but make sure you're a hard core Austen geek!!  I mean you don't have to be, but it will help and make it that more enjoyable and hilarious.

The moral of the story: Mr. Darcy is fictional, but that doesn't mean the non-fictional version doesn't exist in some form.  Hold out hope and don't shortchange yourself for the sake of avoiding being single.  Life's too short to date the George Wickhams of the non-fictional world.

Happy reading, my amazing, geeky lovelies!
-R

More Books by Shannon Hale

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